1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a roll-over protective structure (ROPS) for a multi-purpose utility vehicle and a vehicle body having the same and, more particularly, to a roll-over protective structure which is attached to the top of a multi-purpose utility vehicle, which has a wide range of uses, for the safety of passengers and a vehicle body having the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, multi-purpose utility vehicles have been widely used in a variety of fields such as distribution, construction, leisure, agriculture, etc. In particular, the multi-purpose utility vehicle is designed for rough road running and thus is mainly used as a carrying vehicle for carrying soil or agricultural products in an agricultural field or carrying tools required for various works in a construction site.
As such, the multi-purpose utility vehicle, which is mainly used in the construction site or agricultural field, often operates on a natural ground or an a steep grade. Accordingly, a passenger may be often injured by falling rock or rollover of the vehicle. In preparation for this, a roll-over protective structure (ROPS) is attached to the top of the vehicle.
When the ROPS has sufficient structural rigidity so as not to be bent against falling rock and has a structure that can minimize its deformation due to the weight of the vehicle body during vehicle rollover, the safety of passengers can be improved. In the case of a conventional multi-purpose utility vehicle, a frame extends from a vehicle frame to form a ROPS having a substantially hexahedral shape that can protect the driver's seat.
That is, the commonly known conventional multi-purpose utility vehicle has a structure in which the ROPS, a structure for protecting passengers, is integrally formed with the vehicle frame. Accordingly, if the ROPS needs to be separated, the ROPS cannot be separated from the vehicle frame when the multi-purpose utility vehicle is parked or stored in a limited space or during maintenance in a confined space, which thus needs space as large as its volume.
In addition, although the ROPS has a structure that is separable from the vehicle frame, the structural rigidity of the ROPS must be reduced compared to the above-mentioned integrated ROPS and, as a result, the ROPS cannot perform its role of protecting the passengers from the danger properly, thus reducing the safety and reliability of the multi-purpose utility vehicle.